HRW: Ethiopia should mark World Press Freedom Day by releasing all jailed journalists

(Nairobi) – The Ethiopian government should mark World Press Freedom Day, on May 3, 2013, by immediately releasing all journalists jailed under the country’s deeply flawed anti-terrorism law. On May 2, 2013, the Supreme Court upheld an 18-year sentence under the anti-terrorism law for Eskinder Nega Fenta, a journalist and blogger who received the 2012 PEN Freedom to Write Award.

Eleven journalists have been convicted and sentenced since 2011 under Ethiopia’s repressive anti-terrorism law, including six in absentia. Three of the eleven are currently in prison. Two other journalists are currently on trial under the anti-terrorism law. Another journalist, Temesgen Desalegn, the editor of the now defunct independent magazine Feteh, is on trial for three offenses under the criminal code.

“Ethiopia’s journalists shouldn’t be spending World Press Freedom Day in jail on trumped-up terrorism charges,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Freeing these journalists would be an important step toward improving Ethiopia’s deteriorating record on press freedom.” Read More

33 Responses

Dawit, why are you becoming the mouthpiece of the American neoliberal agents. Do u know there is no an American journalist without mission. American Journalists are not like Ethiopian Journalists. Their on mission assignment. All these Human right bla bla,… they are American neoliberal mercenaries. Tell them to go to Somalia and to ask Alshabab to respect human right and also go Eritrea, and go Suadi Arabia to respect human rights. Dawit, you are innocent, you do not know how this world runs. Tell them to leave Ethiopia alone. We will solve our problems ourselves even if we have problems.

I waited nervously and I was experiencing every aches and pain when I think of these sharks and snakes might have been released or the decision was to be altered some way some how. But thanks to the judge , not willing to change any thing on Esiknder and his associates verdict.
In fact, Yesterday was my day, I witness justices prevailed.
By the way I am wondering why we gave a political bigwigs to Esiknder. He is an ordinary citizen like any of us. I think we wrongly label Esikinder as high league politician. Now the appeal is dropped period. We will see what will happen next.
I don’t understand why the Americans are involved in Ethiopian domestic political affair. They could construct what ever narratives they would like to have about Esikinder, But that doesn’t change the reallity. They Eskinder is simply a journalist and we say he is criminal journalist. You the difference is a sea and an ocean.
Okay, we will see what the Americans bring to change Esiknder verdict.

“Teshome” and Gezaee H. both of need to read Mr. Obang Metho’s advise for collaborators! it is for all ASKARIS. check it out it might help you both.
Now, about killing and jailing journalists and political leaders..etc. is making you happy? I did not know I am dealing with lower animals? how is this possible? the last 22 years is not enough
to make you Human?…you are still in the jungle? think and say the same thing word to word…”Group think” like a group of Dogs? I am not going to see your big BS about being a nationalist and about USA, something that you don’t have the moral or the knowledge. develop first!

Alex, it is because TPLF stands for: Terrorizers Polarizers and Looters Facade. They are being true to their words.Don’t ever try to reason with them. In fact it is a common mistake to accuse woyanes of human right abuse.This term is created for cases when one human being abuses another human. WOYANES are sub-humans abusing humans.By the way, do you know that the scars on the faces of woyannes are the leftovers when they cutoff their horns?

The human rights violation in Ethiopia is deteriorated than ever at this time. Journalists like Eskinder, Reyot, Wubshet…, and others got an international winning award for their fight against tyrant and fascist govt. of weyane. It’s the journalist’s blessed job to expose the crimes and murder made by Weyane and its ignorant cadres and Federal Police. The constitution has guaranteed them to express their journal duty as well. But infear of the Arab spring revolution, Weyane charges them as terrorists without tangible evidence. This is the method Weyane used in order to escape from the revolution. Besides this, Weyane also unexpectedly announces the construction of a Nile Dam with no project and dam study to fool the Ethiopian people and save his power for ever. So, it’s known that Eskinder and other hero Ethiopians are innocent who are charged by fabricated lies of Weyane. It’s also unthinkable to get justice from Weyane courts. The judges are those cadres who trained for this purpose in the civil service college of Weyane to accomplish its evil actions on innocent Ethiopians. But tomorrow they will pay the price for their injustice. At this time Ethiopians and the world are shouting on the harsh actions of Weyane. Weyane is an aggressive and in human nature who follows the Dedebit jungle rule that can’t respect or obey its own constitution. Weyane is now isolated from the world, we Ethiopians have to fight against him strongly in unison in order to bring soon the freedom of our country and People, Let’s unite with our Muslim heroes struggle. God bless Ethiopia.

I do not believe the HRW organizaion.
because:
human rights organization, was created with the direct participation of not only the well-known political figures of the American liberal establishment, but also the largest industrial and financial corporations in the U.S.. So what about Human Rights Watch as an Organization does not have any basis.
foreign policy of the United States (up until now) dominated by four major concepts that are “stacked” on the dualism of political life: isolationism, realism,socialist internationalizm and interventsionalizm.
1.realism:Conservative foreign policy pragmatism is particularly evident in the support of repressive regimes, when they conducted a pro-American foreign policy, or provide for U.S. companies and their capital favorable economic conditions and a favorable investment climate. The same attitude was pragmatic realist Republicans to international institutions (UN,HRW,OSCE) will, which they viewed as instruments to achieve the national goals of the USA. Therefore, the Conservatives easily violated international agreements coming out of the international conventions, if they considered it beneficial for the United States.

Can some one pls tell me which journalist college did mr. Eskinder, Reyot, Wubshet did graduated…. U can’t keep on labeling people without qualifications

Or r u saying we don’t need qualification to be a journalist in Africa…. I am just asking…if u have answer late me know otherwise stop calling them journalist maybe citizen reporter but not journlalst.

There is no press freedom in Ethiopia. The only difference between TPLF ruled Ethiopia and Dergue led Ethiopia is that TPLF gave some breathing room to pro-TPLF press like Walta, Reporter, Aiga Forum and ETV among others. These pro-regime media are only allowed to broadcast pro-Govt propaganda and that is not up to living to the standards of internationally accepted Journalistic principles. The country’s human rights record is deteriorating from day to day and TPLF’s gross human rights violations is becoming unparalleled in Africa and its taking a huge toll on Ethiopians. We have just heard on an interview on ESAT that the TPLF orchestrated the genocide in Bedeno, Arbagugu (Arsi) with the aim of blaming it on the OLF in a dire effort to discredit the OLF and try to win some desperately needed public backing. All efforts must be made to make sure that those responsible for these heinous crimes and the ones we are witnessing in Beneshangul and Gura Ferda, including TPLF stooge, Hailemriam Desalegn should be held accountable. The United States has a moral and legal responsibility to review all its relationship with TPLF led Ethiopia and suspend all its financial and related commitments to the country until the TPLF is deleted out of office or unconditionally comes to terms with respecting human rights and punishing those responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in their midst. State Secretary John Kerry should cancel his plan to travel to Addis Ababa this month for the 50th anniversary of the African Union and other powers like the European Union should follow suit, and this would send a clear message to TPLF pawn Hailemariam Desalegn that dinning with him was tantamount to dinning with Omar el- Bashir, his other genocide suspect next door.

If only U.S Foreign policy matched its rhetoric we would all be ok, but unfortunately this is all the same rhetoric again. They need to put real pressure on the government of Ethiopia and not just talk.

Both Eskinder and Andualem are accused of links to a lesser-known, US based opposition group Ginbot 7. “Ginbot 7 had no authority over Eskinder’s constitutional right” Eskinder’s wife, journalist Serkalem fasil told Awramba Times. “Eskinder’s only crime was loving his country”.

Yes there may be a human rights violation in Ethiopia but the situation now is better than it was before and who says the only victims of these are journalists fyi i dont blame eprdf for their doing why they are doing it because they have power and who am i to tell them what to do i dont have power not only them but also in the future it will continue to be that way that is the beauty of power

The likes of Leslie Lafkow is our modern colonialists who are trying to keep us in poverty so we live on their hand outs! Obviously , they themselves don’t license journalists who promotes hate politics, but they are asking our country to let hate promoting journalists to promote their evil hate agenda !

Leslie, we won’t let you to interfere in our internal affairs! Ethiopia is marching forward to extract ourselves from abject poverty , & hence you can’t stop us in anyway! This is Ethiopia reviving its legacy, therefore, don’t try to full yourselves!

It is great that western countries and human rights organizations are siding with innocent prisoners in Ethiopia. Its has minor contribution in our struggle to dismantle this narrow minded ethnic junta in our country. The major force for change is pressing on using organic force back in Ethiopia. The youth are awakening. The diaspora need to participate in strengthening ESAT and spreading the injustice perpetrated by TPLF. Keep on fighting. We may fall, and become despaired often, but no excuse for not standing up, dusting our troubles and keep fighting for equality, justice, freedom, and dignity.

We would take the support of western countries and human rights organizations in speaking for innocents political prisoners in Ethiopia. It has minor contributions to our struggle to dismantle the repression of TPLF up on Ethiopian ppls. The major force for our struggle is ourselves, and organic movement back home. We should keep fighting and resisting. We may fail and despair often, but we got to get up and dust our troubles and keep fighting. Diaspora continue supporting ESAT with renewed vigor. Each of us can act in the form of awakening the youth in Ethiopia. We have to make it uncomfortable and consequential for dictator of our country. post it “independent” editor.

No one is going to clean your house if you do not clean it. American works for American interest only, nothing more or less. I do not believe they can anyway solve our problem. They are actually making it worse by dividing us, they got the weal link among us. There is no any single country that its problem is solved by American government. Actually,they only created many problem including terrorism by interfering in sensitive cultures, religions arrogantly. you do not know how muslims hate Americans? it is good to ask why? we say terrorist but we never understand other people grievances. you do not know how Iraqis feel about USA? You do not know how Afgans feel about USA? You do not know how muslims in general feel about USA? Why do you think? why not muslims do not hate other European countries? By the way,even Europeans do not like Americans. Interference from outside does not solve problem, but makes problem worse. The only way to solve our problem is to recognize each other and sit down and solve them with good faith. Otherwise, if you attack me, I will attack you and this is the law of physics, natural law. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. Do not expect other people to listen to you if you do not listen to them. One of the problem among Ethiopians, the regime does not listen to the Ethiopians and the Ethiopians like diaspora do not listen. How are we going to help our country by fighting and killing each other? Why we do not use ideology than verbal and physical attack? Why we do not attack the government ideologically? Ideological war is the only solution to address our problem. Convincing people and organizing people, mobilizing people using reasons instead of using hate, bad langauges and asking other country to solve our problem. Woyane has no choice but to listen to the people of Ethiopia if we unite. But we divided, makes our suffering more severe than ever. We did not force woyane to change a single policy in the past 20 years? why? because we are divided and we are even ready to kill each other. In this scenario, it is life and death, everyone defends itself which prolongs and delays democracy in our country. The way to solve our problem is to use ideology. Woyane succeeded to overcome derg, not by scaring people, but respecting people. Woyane was recruiting derg soldiers, derg officials. Is there any opposition that recruit woyanes or EPRDF supporters? no, everyone wants to kill EPRDF supporters? how is that is going to work?

Are these corocodile tears by the likes of HRW, CPJ,….etc a symptom of something else? Why do these groups including the US state department try to undermine the legal system of Ethiopia? Why not give the legal system take its due course? Will the US intetests be served by the few extrems like the accused who praised the atrocities comitted by Nazis on Jews and calls for similar action not a concern to these so-called advocates of human right? Don’t those people in Ethiopia whom Eskinder called face the fate of the jews deserve the right to life?

The bad thing we Ethiopians backward and we do not know what are doing. You think these crying for Ethiopians? no, no, big no. Their only agenda is Americanism. Why would an American journalist give an order to a leader of a sovereign nation to release prisoners? even if we think they are doing this for what they say? how is going to work by giving order? Leslie, stupid, ignorant, arrogant, shallow American is opening her big mouth because she thinks she is better human than us? why? because she is ignorant. Guys, I do not support some woyane policies, but still I do not believe American has to do meddle in my country. I believe they are ignorant and shallow people and also selfish people. Somalia is without government for 22 years now? why they do not go inside Somalia and respect human right. I am hating ignorant Americans as I do hate fanatics. We must solve our problem ourselves. We do not need their help. If we unite and love each other, we can force woyane to change. our problem now is there is no unity. That allowed woyane to landlock our country by force. Unity is the only answer. No Journalists of American mercenary can solve our problem.

Ato Gezaee:
I find your comment absolutely ridiculous. You don’t want to see the evil in front of your eyes. TPLF has incarcerated innocent journalists and politicians, for the whole world to see. Families are separated and suffering because of this. You don’t have the heart and courage to stand up to them and voice your concern as a citizen. Instead you chose to unleash that Western countries do not have our country’s interest. What is frightening and bizarre is you wanted to preach us about love and unity. What?
In front of you are children starving, and it is like you are outraged because American kids are provided high calorie meal for lunch. Yours is Hypocrisy of the highest degree. Is that your concept of love? Or are you squandering in the name of love to come to defense of dictators?

Dear Solomon, I see you are upset very much. You are upset does no mean all Ethiopians problems will be solved. High emotion, anger, confrontation, revenge, rivalry, bias ,prejudice, hate, … can not solve our problem. If those were solutions, by todays we would not have any problem. I do believe this is our main problem. I am living in the west; I see them how they solve their problems. I value what I learn very much. You do not have to agree with what I say. Whatever I say is my opinion; If unit, love, mutual understanding, listening to each other, recognizing each other and each other needs means bad things to you, it is your choice. All I said is American citizens can not solve our problems. That is an objective reality. Even if there are people in prison, I am saying let us solve them by ourselves. I still do not believe any foreigner citizen can solve our problem. All they can do is give us shelter if we manage to escape. Otherwise, if outsiders could solve problems? Somalians would not have lived without government for 22 years, this is quarter a century? Do not discourage by me, follow your heart and also it is good to have a wealth of counsellors for whatever you do. I have no intention to coerce anyone to agree with me.

There is free press in Ethiopia , but not for journalists who promotes hate!

We didn’t see our so called journalists participating in the fight against poverty, in building Ethiopia’s infrastructure , in the fight against backwardness ….! Our so called journalists are concentrating on how to make money with out any journalistic ethics… & with out any responsibility on what they write!

All in all there is no country that allows journalists who promotes hate! What we have in Ethiopia are journalist who are a mouthpiece of a fragmented empty oppositions who has nothing to offer except hate against the people if Tigrai!

What I wonder is : you cry for free press while you have no idea what free press means!

Ato Gezaee:
Yes i am upset with your comment (not you personally). Every country stands for its self interest. We all know that. But what has been reported in the original article is totally true. It speaks and appeals for the release of those imprisoned with impunity. The least you can do to help the poor families of the imprisoned and innocents is by telling how their right is abused by the dictator govt back home. You need to set your priority straight my friend. I wonder what you would have commented had the original article been posted by a Ethiopian. The author does not matter, rather the content of the piece matters.

We must learn to respect each others opinions; that is what democracy is all about. Do not expect me to agree with you on every issue; if you expect me to agree with you then that is not democracy. We can agree only if we disagree and we convince each other based on logical reasons. The majority of Ethiopians do not agree with me because my stands do not fall either on the government or on the opposition. This why we are not agreeing. I have my own principles and ideologies. I am not teletafi to anyone, be it to the government or to the opposition. I am very liberated, free man, enlightened. I live in an environment that fosters dignity, impartiality, pure reason, discipline, integrity, virtue, equality, fairness, justice. God saved me from that bloody country called Ethiopia. I live on this almost perfect new home. I can not afford to be arm twisted to follow hate politics of Ethiopia.
My policies are the following:
1. Ethiopian problems can only be solved by Ethiopians only.
2. None Ethiopians must 100% stay out of Ethiopian home affairs including American, I do not care what Americans do in their country and they leave alone my counnty. Ethiopians do not need meddling American Journalist to help them from their problem.
3. I do not hate the government blindly; I oppose the government for landlocking my country and my people, removing people from their land,sellling land for 100 years, uprooting peoples based on ethnics
4. I do believe there has never been justice, equality, fairness, impartiality in Ethiopia after the time of Emperor Zarayacob. And Ethiopians do not know equality, fairness, justice, impartiallity and as such neither the leaders nor the people know democracy. This means democracy in an Ethiopian sense must be planted like a tree seedling in an Ethiopion soil and watered with an Ethiopian water, then we can have a home grown, well-founded democracy. We do not need cut, copy, paste democracy from USA.

5. I do not support the oppositions because of none of them have ideals that attract me or make me happy, but I do not hate them. I do not endorse what they say and I do not endorse what the government says either. I do believe Ethiopians are not ready for that. I can not allow myself to be dragged to follow people who still believe they have to kill other people to get freedom. I am galaxiess apart from Ethiopians. We have cosmic differences. Whether you get upset or not, nothing will change with my principle based on reasons. Your upsetness will not make any change on me. The only one way you can influence me is if you use the power of reasons. They did that and this, they are this and that, they killed these and those, they put in prison those and these will not change my principles. My principles are purely based on pure reasons only. There is no ethnic or tribal, or political or religious or sectiarn affiliation. I have learnt the majority of Ethiopians can not reason. They follow either by force or by propaganda. These means Ethiopians need emanucipation from ethnicism, racism, tribalism and regionalism. Until that happens, they will gnaw each other.

I am out of Ethiopians politics; My politics does not subscribe to any faction or hate politics or the government. This is my right. I also get upset sometimes when I see the government doing extremely bad things and when I see the oppositions do funny things like supporting Egypt, opposing the dam and their immeasureable hate to ethnic Tigreans because they hate woyane. If Mama Ethiopia means all Ethiopian people? then no Ethiopian must be discriminated because Mama Ethiopia means all the people in it regardless race or ethnic or tribe or colour or region or birth place or residence place; If you hate part of Mama Ethiopia, Mama Ethiopia has no meaning for me. Instead of opposing policies and uniting, mobilizing people to uproot injustice, it appears people are more concerned about their ethnic only. Anyway, brother Solomon, you have a right to do whatever you think is good. But just blind hatred towards the government will not help the country. It is good to oppose the government for their bad policies, not for their ethnic origin. I am glad I do not live in Ethiopia anymore.

Ato Gezaee: thank you for the response. I understand your point, though i was not trying to make you fit with my opinion. We don’t have to agree on everything. There are issues that we must agree up on. When we see powerless, voiceless and innocent individuals and communities being discriminated, abused and the rights violated, we have the duty to speak for them, and stand by them. It would be unreasonable to say lets agree to disagree on such issues. I also see inconsistency in your comment. You stress up solving Ethiopia’s problem with Ethiopians only, and then you say you are happy that you are not living in Ethiopia, that God saved you from the bloody country Ethiopia, etc. I often criticize the governing party in Ethiopia because they are the government for more than 20 years. But they don’t act like it. They are entirely culpable for all the atrocities committed on the people and the country. The longer they hang on to power, the more devious and brutal they became.

I am not denying Ethiopia is not fair. I am not denying the ethnic, tribal or … problems. I am not denying the corruption, nepotism, bribery, ….

All I am saying let us solve the problems ourselves. Talking does not solve anything. They say action speaks louder than words. You can not change anyhing by talking. Did we solve any problem in the past 20 years? no, we did not solve any single problem. All have been doing is talk talk, … criminalizing people and make things even worse. That is why I am saying we need to be united, respect each other, recognize each other as humans than as tribes or ethnics or religious entities, and work together on the common problems. Then we can solve them one by one otherwise we keep on they did this and they did that. They are these and they are that. Leave alone American to understand our problem and our people, I myself I am having difficulties to understand Ethiopia mindset. When I say we must solve our problems, it is not because I hate foreign citizens or Americans. It is because I do believe Americans have no clue about Ethiopian mindset and they can not understand the way the people think and operate. History is my witness Americans have been making enemies because of their ignorance of other people. Brother Solomon, unite Ethiopian , organize people based on ideals and reasons if you can. That is the only way to freedom.

Anyways, we can see that western politician’s track trailing all over our problems! They were the ones who lead Egypt’s invading troops in the 1870s that had caused a devastating scar on our country! They were the ones who have abandoned Ethiopia in the 2nd world war for the Italian invasion while Ethiopia was a member of the UN league…!

At this moment , their organizations in a sheep skin are telling us to stop using our rivers as they did use their rivers to reach themselves where they are now! They never any humanity whatsoever towards Africa! Watch the blood diamond … & emagine what’s going on in Congo at this moment! Why?

The only way to solve our problem is:if we can be united as Ethiopian with all our differences aside! The kind of this lady interfering in our affairs are adding fuel to the fire! When we are burned to the ashes then they can have a vast beautiful mountainous vacation spot forever on our ashes !

But our government does not like unity man. That is the big problem. They just wanted us to follow them like sheeps. What is the difference between the colonailists and EPRDF? EPRDF is giving away land to Arabs for 100 years repeating Menelicks mistakes again. EPRDF is selling home factories to western companies at the lowest bid? The government does not believe in strong Ethiopia with its strong Navy and they love to landlock it ? How is unity possible with a government that is unpatriotic and divisive ? For some unknown reasons EPRDF loves foreigners than Ethiopians. This is the biggest problem. If a government is a corrupt and nepotic, it is hard to think of working with it. I have friends who tell me they would be willing even to offer their skill for free to help the country. But the bad thing, the government does respect citizens. It would be so hard for me to unite with a government that remove people from their land and give the land to foreign multinational corporation? My hilna or conscience does not allow me to work Ethiopian government. This is not my fault. This is the government policy. What we can do if government never listen and never correct mistakes and never do any reform? very sad so. But that is the truth bro.